Government funding hovers on
the edge of a fiscal cliff. The economy
and housing markets continue to tremble. And true natural disasters are sowing human tragedy
across the globe.

We depend on the nonprofit
sector to help alleviate these problems. Yet, in a time of so much uncertainty
and such great need, many struggle to respond. How are our fellow nonprofits
doing it? We want to know, and we want to share this knowledge with the world.

Nonprofit Finance Fund is
conducting its fifth annual State of the Sector survey to find out what
nonprofits and the communities they serve need most. This anonymous survey asks nonprofit leaders
about the management and financial challenges they’re facing as they work
tirelessly on mission. In a sector that
often lacks data, this survey illustrates real-time financial and operational
trends.

With the help of generous
support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, we share the aggregated
results of the survey with foundations, government entities, media,
associations, advocacy organizations and nonprofits themselves. The results
improve grantmaking practices, help shape conversations on the needs of the
social sector, and provide a rich source of data.

These data are made potent by
the collective voice they represent from a wide spectrum of organizations. Last
year, more than 4600 of you shared your stories, allowing us to both zoom out
to show a national overview and focus in on particular sectors, organization sizes,
and geographical areas. We hope you will again take a moment to fill out the
survey and make our collective voice even more powerful.